Overview & Reviews

A relative newcomer to the American marketplace, Hyundai is a Korean automaker with a product line that has improved greatly over the past decade. Hyundai cars and SUVs provide a high level of content for an affordable price, and are currently backed by one of the industry's longest warranties.

In 1947, Chung Ju Yung founded the Hyundai Civil Engineering Company. Mere months later, the outfit was bombed in the Korean War. However, the company regained its footing to distinguish itself as one of Korea's leading construction enterprises during the 1950s.

By the late 1960s, Chung had turned his attention to the automobile industry. The Korean government at that time believed that it made more sense to import vehicles than produce them domestically, and had made its opinion known. Still, Chung opted to follow his own convictions, and in 1967, he founded the Hyundai Motor Company.

The company quickly established an alliance with one of the industry's oldest automakers, signing a two-year contract with Ford in 1968 to share assembly technology. Hyundai's first car, the Cortina, was created from that partnership. The manufacturer's first car to be designed and built in Korea was the compact Pony (although the car was based on Japanese technology courtesy of Mitsubishi). The vehicle made its debut in 1974, and the following year Hyundai began exporting it to overseas markets.

Hyundai entered the U.S. market in 1986 with the introduction of its subcompact Excel. The car was an immediate hit, with its supreme affordability being a primary selling point. More than 100,000 Excels were sold stateside in the first seven months. By 1988, Hyundai had begun to produce cars using its own technology. The midsize Sonata was the first fruit borne of this endeavor.

Unfortunately, Hyundai's nascent image was soon tarnished by the poor durability and reliability of its vehicles. Sales tanked. However, rather than abandon the American market in the '90s, Hyundai chose to invest heavily in new product designs and improvements in overall quality and reliability. In 1998, Hyundai also purchased Kia, another Korean automaker, to expand its business and economies of scale.

It all started to pay off by the start of the new millennium, with the 2001 Elantra in particular showing massive improvements in overall quality, reliability and performance. Other models followed suit and the desirability of Hyundai cars increased sharply. Providing an extraordinarily long warranty period didn't hurt either.

Today's lineup is indicative of Hyundai's complete turnaround. Hyundai has a vehicle for nearly every segment, including the economical Accent subcompact, the popular Elantra compact, the midsize Sonata sedan (also available as a hybrid), sporty Genesis and Veloster coupes and a couple of stylish SUVs. Hyundai has also expanded into the entry-level and premium-level luxury sedan markets with its Genesis and Equus sedans. Having gone from being the butt of late-night TV jokes in the 1980s to a well-respected manufacturer of quality vehicles, Hyundai has created a very inspiring rags-to-riches story.

User Reviews:

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  Impressive - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Choice04 - July 22 - 4:43 pm

  I used to drive Honda CR-V and recently changed to Hyundai Tucson. First time I took it for a test drive I fell in love with it. Its comfortable (better than Santa Fe), versatile, & fast. Tucson is also fuel efficient. I get avg. 23 mpg. I am really impressed!

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  excellent - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By josh s - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I was a little wary at buying a hyundai by thier past reputaion but not any longer. This car is great! It is fun to drive with tons of features. I was lucky enough to get a program car that came with the moonroof with shade and a cool looking rear spoiler. I am very happy i bought this car and way better than my 91 pontiac sunbird. great price too.

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  Great Value, Excellent Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jordo - July 22 - 1:16 am

  The only complaint I have is the fuel door doesnt open very well. Also during the break in period the transmission shifted rough. Now transmission is starting to shift smoother.

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  A great fun, reliable car! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By pirategirl - July 21 - 8:59 pm

  Ive had my Elantra GT for 5 years and I absolutely love it. Its given me no problems, its fun to drive and with the hatchback and fold down seats it has a ton of cargo space. I opted for the manual 5 speed, I really didnt think the automatic had enough pep in it. Were now in the market for an SUV as well and were definately looking at Hyundai - cant beat the value.

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  Great Vehicle - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Brown - July 21 - 9:14 am

  Purchased used 2006 Azera Ltd. with 15,200 miles. Tremendous car. I miss the smoother ride of the XG350 I previously had, which was sacrificed in the Azera for better/sportier handling, however I knew that when I purchased it. Overall, I am very satisfied with the combination of handling, quiet ride (its still very smooth) and performance/fuel efficiency from the 3.8 liter engine. The interior features are all top notch with tons of space for comfort. Six air bags and electronic stability control add some peace-of-mind safety features.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Brandy - July 20 - 5:14 am

  I got this car in August of 2015. I traded in my old 2005 Chevy Aveo for something large enough for my growing family and this car was the first one I saw. So far, weve had no problems. The only thing I noticed was the little skip in the car if you start breaking for a red light. Im not entirely sure if its just because of an internal problem or if the breaks need a readjustment but I am in love with this car!!

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  A Refreshing Surprise - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Tony L. - July 19 - 1:10 pm

  Love the style, features and warranty for the price. I had previously owned a Cadillac Deville Concourse and let me tell you, Im not disappointed. Easy to handle around NYC traffic and lots of power for our treks upstate. Highway gas mileage is about 27 mpg, but city driving is about 16 (what I was getting in the Caddy). I hope Hyundai is hard at work regarding their engine R&D if they want to compete with the Japanese in the MPG wars. Hyundai needs to also work on its dealer service network. It took 3 trips to the dealership to repair an inoperative drivers side maplight, all 3 times having the wrong part. I finally had it repaired in 1 visit to a Brooklyn dealer. Overall, Im very happy.

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  In the beginning....... - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By dr lou - July 19 - 12:46 am

  We had it delivered to our house today. A solid hunk of steel and technology with all available options included in the price. We paid 24385 out the door inclusive of 6 per cent Michigan sales tax. Dual exhaust, multi cd, power sunroof, seats. 235 horsepower all aluminum V6 5 speed transmission, heated seats. You name it. It has it. A 4 cylinder Honda sedan stickered at over 24 thousand without the options the Hyundai has. What a buy. What a car. Finally the 10 year 100 thousand mile warranty! What more could you ask for?

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  love my XG - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By lee24017 - July 18 - 10:04 pm

  I owned as Pontiac G6 and was not happy with the payments, so I took it back. Bought this out of the classifieds in the local paper and I am very very happy with it. For a small price, with some minor repairs from me, I love the smooth way it drives. Everyone says they though I was driving a Jaguar when they see me pull up. Very classy car and the ride is great. I do not race the car, I do however take it on the highway and it has not had any problems keeping up with the big dogs. I highly recommend this car, be sure to do regular maintenance.

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  Gr8 Car! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By ITSME - July 17 - 7:03 pm

  I have had my Elantra a little over a week. I have already been on 2 long trips. It does so good. I love it. My friends all love it. And even my friends who said "Dont get a Hyundai" are very impressed! And are thinking about getting one! The car drives very well. I love the gas mileage, espically coming from an SUV. Its very roomy. Drives great. And has an awesome Heat/A/C system! I love my car. I hope to keep it for a long time.